Betty Aldworth

Whereas Ethan Nadelmann, for two decades, has been one of the most prominent global leaders of drug policy reform, has announced that he is stepping down as Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance in the Spring of 2017; Whereas Ethan Nadelmann has spoken at almost every international conference of Students for Sensible Drug

In just 24 hours, the Senate Judiciary Committee will be conducting appointment hearings for Senator Jeff Sessions, nominated to become the next Attorney General. Several appointees are likely to threaten drug policy and criminal justice reforms in the coming years, but none so much as Mr. Sessions. He said that “good people don’t smoke marijuana”. He said he thought the

On Tuesday, the drug policy reform movement achieved state and local victories that were unimaginable when we were founded 18 years ago. Eight of nine cannabis ballot initiatives won, providing safe access to medical marijuana for millions of potential new patients and safety from the trap of marijuana enforcement for millions of users in four more states (with our deep condolences

Nothing is inevitable, but it’s undeniable: the DARE generation is done with marijuana prohibition, and it’s time for us to usher in a new approach to drug policy. This is our chance! 2016 marks the first election when Millenials and Gen Xers make up the largest share of the electorate. That would be pretty cool, but it doesn’t mean we’re

This weekend, SSDP celebrates our 18th birthday! When our few dozen founders first connected with each other from six campuses on the early internet, they rallied because they understood that the drug war provided a foundation for a vast and tentacled set of social harms. They set out to undo the pieces of that system, from denial of student loans and grants to the

In 2012, I was running the field for Colorado’s Amendment 64 campaign when I was first introduced to Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Drew, the quietly subversive outreach director tasked with mobilizing students on the ground and across the nation in support of the initiative through a phonebank he built. Later that year, he came out to Colorado and couchsurfed

We just got big news, and wanted to share it with you right away: a long-time friend of SSDP would like to make a generous gift of $25,000 on December 31, but she doesn’t want to do it alone! So she has challenged you to join her by making a gift of $5, $10, $25, or more today and, when

Last Sunday, 60 Minutes aired an investigation of the use of young people as confidential informants featuring the story of SSDP alumna Rachel Hoffman. Frequently, young people who are busted for minor drug offenses are pressured in to becoming informants without the guidance of trusted adults, advice from an attorney, or a full understanding of their rights and the likely outcomes of

Following an intense and deeply thoughtful debate this summer, Students for Sensible Drug Policy opted to remain neutral on Ohio’s Issue 3, the wildly controversial ballot initiative to legalize cannabis for adult and medical use in Ohio in 2015. The cannabis community at large is torn on the issue; the SSDP Board of Directors (largely students elected by their peers), Trustees,

This month, more than 250 Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapters are reconvening after a summer off. Nearly 4,000 student members are recruiting new advocates and developing strategies to bring more sensible drug policies to their communities in 2015-2016. We’re proud to share that SSDP is starting the school year with 24 new chapters, including four new international chapters. Many SSDPers